Helping is what we do.
As a home health aide (HHA), the prospect of employment is strong because hospitals are requiring shorter stays, and the needs of elderly people are growing. More patients are relying on the availability of HHAs to care for them once they leave the medical facility. If you choose this field, you can expect an income level between $15,000 to $21,000, as determined by healthcare.delmar.com. Home health aides are caring people who are willing to spend their lives helping others who cannot do for themselves.
What is a Home Health Aide?
An HHA is a professional who helps people in their home, in a medical facility or in a hospice who are not able to care for themselves.
Job Description
The purpose of the HHA is to give more support to patients whose families are just not able to fully provide for their needs. Your primary role will be to perform duties that assist the patient, such as grooming, bed transfer and personal hygiene. You will be responsible for taking vital signs, changing some bandages and helping the client take his medications. You might also be asked to do some light housekeeping, cooking and shopping. You will be part of a team and supervised by either a nurse or physical therapist, sometimes even a social worker. Being with patients all day long requires massive doses of compassion, understanding and showing interest in the patient.
Becoming Certified
Becoming an HHA is indeed a process requiring specialized training. Certification involves specific requirements such as class coursework coupled with practical training. Written exams and being able to demonstrate your new skills are required for successful certification. Some of the coursework might include understanding medical usage, the math needed for medication, CPR, caring for those who are convalescing and acute care. Programs can run as short as two weeks to several months.
Resources
Each state has its own requirements. Vocational schools in your area offer classes, as do community colleges and even local high schools. If you are already working for a health care facility, they might have a free training program, or look for a job that offers this training. Aides who work in a facility that receives any type of Medicaid monies must be certified.
The National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) is a comprehensive resource that offers course work (www.nahc.org). Online sites also offer options such as DegreeDirectory.org, HealthMate.com.and AtHomeCare.com.
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